Fire
by KatRoyal
Summary: Cat has to make a decision or risk losing the man she's only just now figured out she's fallen in love with. Cat/JF


_** This is my attempt at a JF/Cat pairing. It has nothing to do with my other CR fanfiction btw, just so there's no confusion. Anyway, read on and tell me what you think! **_

_** Also, there are french phrases every now and then and please pardon any mistakes I make. I do not speak french, but I thought I should look it up bc JF is french. Out beside the phrases in parenthesis is what the french phrases mean. **_

**Fire~**

It was an unspoken promise, Reader, not even spoke aloud.

I still heard it.

Jean Francoise, the little King of the Palais Royale thieves was the one staring back at me with the promise in his eyes.

I took a steadying breath, Reader. It did not help.

"Stay with me, the worst of the danger has finally passed." He whispered beneath the shadows of a dark night. He reached and carefully touched my arm; I had never known JF to be gentle.

He was a troublemaker at times, extraordinarily smart with his wits, more so than anyone usually gave credit to children of the streets. He was also devilishly handsome. A treacherous combination when provided with his wits. So he could not only talk his way out of any situation, but he could also _persuade _someone, (girls, more to the point) to do what he wished, by merely casting them a sidelong glance. Perhaps an exaggeration, but I doubted it.

Simply because I knew he was using those particular charms to try and get me to stay.

And do you want to know something Reader? I wanted to listen to him.

"Why is it so hard for you?" JF had grown impatient by now and growled his answer at me. "Am I nothing to you anymore Firecracker?"

I read disappointment in his black eyes, the fire in the kitchen behind him making flames dance upon his face, casting it in shadow and light in one moment and the next.

I wanted to answer him. But as I've always been, the Cat Royal I've always been, I cannot always speak my mind when it comes to things as this. If I could, I would have long ago found a way to discourage Syd more than I had. I hadn't led him on really, but for a while I'd been unsure of the feelings I'd held for my oldest and dearest friend. There was nothing but friendship between us now; however, I knew in my heart that Syd would always wish it to be more. Always be hoping,

I closed my eyes against JF's silent fury.

"You know you are a great friend JF. You cannot force me to make a decision." I murmured, my anger shining as brightly as his. My answer did not sit well with the King of the thieves.

"No, I don't suppose I can." He jeered before me. "I guess I thought that I meant more to you than being a friend. I should have learned."

"JF." I snapped, tears burning in my green eyes. "Stop it. I can't-"

"No!" The young King snapped, cutting me off. "You're right, I don't know why I didn't understand before," His French accent deepened as he grew angrier. "You don't wish to care for a thief."

My lips twisted into a scowl. And if that statement were true, I'd be as prejudiced as Bridget's brothers had been to the English and the English to them. "Surely JF, you think me better than that. I am an orphan, or have you forgotten that?" I jerked forward towards him. "My mother gave me up to have the child of my brother's father because he didn't want me and my mother didn't care enough to argue with him or try and find me later on." I paused for a breath. "I don't _know_ who my father is!" My voice was raised now and I walked towards him and stopped when we were inches apart, he was, after all, still only an inch or so taller than me. "You had the reassurance of a mother and your grandfather." I tilted my head to meet his eyes squarely. "So don't talk as if I were the one prejudiced."

JF stiffened, raising his head as proudly as any King. "I am not prejudiced."

"Perhaps, not." I admitted. "Just arrogant."

The fire in JF's eyes flamed and he grabbed my shoulder. "Give me a good reason you don't want to stay with me and I'll walk away and never look back."

Looking into his eyes hurt and I tried to turn away, JF wasn't having any of it and his other hand landed on my waist, holding me in place, so instead I stared just past his shoulder.

"I'm not sure I want to leave my home. I've lived in England for so long and all of my friends are there. Frank, Rabbi, all the Butcher's boys, Mr. Sheridan. And Syd." _Syd. _I wasn't sure if I could bear Syd and JF's disappointment. And whichever choice I made, I would see one or the other.

"Syd." JF ground the name out. "So that's it."

"That's what?" I didn't like the edge to that sentence.

"He's the reason isn't he? That you don't want to leave England?" JF's finger's tightened on my arm for a second and then he released me, shoving me aside gently.

"You know it's not him." I murmured. "I don't care about him like that."

"But you don't for me either?" JF had never sounded so uncertain about something in his life, but I heard it in his voice that he truly didn't know what to make of me. And it bothered him.

He brushed a masculine hand through his black hair; he had grown so much since I'd last seen him. He wasn't little boy he'd been three years before. He wasn't the JF I remembered exactly and that scared me a little bit. He was older and more controlled.

He could have almost any girl he wished, so why would he choose a ragged, orphan girl to love? But then he'd never said the word love about what he felt, just that he cared. Is that what held me back?

"I care about you JF, more than you'll believe I expect." I whispered quietly, always aware that we might not as alone as we thought.

"But not enough to stay." There was no question in his voice, just great sorrow. "Goodbye then Firecracker. I'll keep my promise."

_Why do you do this? _I trotted after him to stop him. "JF, why can't you just stop being pigheaded and let me think about it tonight? I only want to think of everything that it could cause. I don't want to cause trouble for you!" His disappearing back was almost gone on that black street in France when I said those words. "You know I wouldn't be welcome among some people here. They won't have any use for you anymore because of me."

His voice came out of the darkness. "Did it never occur to you by now that I don't care what people think of me?" There was a growl in his voice that made me shiver in the darkness.

"So why should I be any different JF?" I needed to know the reason.

"Viens ici, amour." (I'm here, love) Came his French reply from the dark, surprisingly nearby.

Greatly unsure, I said. "I can't see you."

"Follow my voice." The mysterious young King answered softly and I took a step forward, blinking to try and get my eyes to adjust to the dark. My legs carried me forward without my consent; it was like something was pulling me to find him.

I wanted to find him Reader.

So I followed him into the dark.

"Where are you now?" I called out, bringing my hands and spreading them wide so I didn't run into anything.

"Je suis de ce côté-ci." (I'm over here) Came his reply, cool and arrogant.

I turned at his voice and wandered in that direction until suddenly, hands were closing over my waist, just as suddenly they were gone.

"JF!" I snapped, "Let me find you."

"I didn't think the little red head wanted to find me." Was his retort.

"JF, tell me. Why am I any different? Tell me why I would be any different from any of the girls you're surrounded by every day a year from now?" Might as well be blunt about it Reader.

A hush fell over me after I said that, he didn't reply.

I stopped walking, feeling uneasy. Had I said too much that time? I sensed something near me and froze where I was, terrified at the thought that JF would leave me out here in the dark streets.

I closed my eyes tightly and said in a shaky breath. "Where are you JF?"

Quiet. How could Paris be so silent this night? I could hardly hear the sounds of anything. Had he left me?

"Have you left me JF?" I whispered into the dark, eyes still closed. "I don't want you to leave me."

"Oeuvres les yeux." (Open your eyes) He answered and I startled forward, running into him straight into him, he caught me gently and pulled me to his chest. For a brief moment the two of us stood there and I let the King of thieves hold me.

I raised my head finally to look at him in the face, but he turned his head, hiding his dark features from me.

"Why won't you look at me JF?"

Gingerly, like I was preparing to touch a wild animal I let my fingertips brush his jaw, he didn't flinch outwardly, but I could feel his jaw tighten beneath my fingers.

"Look at me please." I begged gently.

His stubborn jaw didn't move so I slid my fingers further along his jaw and let them touch his chin; slowly I pulled his chin back around to make him look at me. He didn't resist and I pulled back almost instantly, as if I'd touched fire.

His face was damp. With tears.

"JF…"

He interrupted me. "I couldn't leave you, I _can't _leave you. You asked me why I would choose you? I didn't. I had no choice when you made me fall in love with you." The King of thieves gave a harsh laugh. "I didn't have a choice, and I still don't now."

Love. I caught my breath.

I loved him. I truly did, I was only scared to love him, for he could just as easily break my heart, there was no reason why he should love me. Maybe that was why it was right.

JF now had his hands cradling my face tenderly. "Did you hear me Cat, je t'aime. ( I love you.)" The fire was back in his eyes and I knew he wasn't going to give up, and I didn't want him to.

"Prove it." The two words fell innocently from my lips, unaware of the intensity in him they would unleash.

He cupped one hand behind my head and pulled me to him, for a moment letting his lips linger just over mine.

I sucked in a sharp breath through parted lips, terrified and eager all at once.

Just as sharply his mouth touched mine. My eyes closed of their own will and I fought to fight the feeling overcoming me and my ability to stand.

His kiss was gentle and then it was like he'd taken my challenge to heart and his kiss changed suddenly. It demanded, and fought to make me understand his love truly.

So I let him kiss me.

A long, terribly sweet kiss that left us both breathless as he turned his head, freeing us both from the kiss. His nose brushed my own and he kissed the tip of it.

"I love you too." I finally had the courage to whisper.

A grin pulled at JF's lips. "My Firecracker."

I eased closer and slipped my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

I sensed his smile slip as he said. "Cat?"

I raised my head in acknowledgement, "Hmmm?"

"If you wish, I will come to England."

Truly, I couldn't have been more surprised Reader. "I can't do that to you. This is your home."

"We wouldn't have to stay either place for now, we could come and go. I am not bound to this place." JF swept his arm around to emphasize all of France.

"Why?" I had to ask.

The young King took me into his arms tightly, letting me know he would never let me go. "For you. Seulement pour vous (only for you), my Firecracker."

I looked up into his dark eyes Reader and saw the fire of his love, I knew he cared. More than any one person had for me in my life time.

"I will stay." I murmured, afraid to say the words any louder.

His joyful grin was boyish as he pressed his lips to mine soundly for a moment before grasping my hand and pulling me into a dance on that dark street, twirling me. Neither of us caring who saw.

"My Firecracker." He called out to me and spun me back to him and kissed me on the lips again.

"And my fire." I replied softly.

I had finally found my fire Reader.

~X~X~X~

**Review if you will. :)**


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